Radi- D'oh!

Los Angeles radio listeners are all too familiar with watching their favorite stations flip to Spanish (although some have since switched back). It's a phenomenon just hitting Washington D.C., where heritage alternative station WHFS disappeared Wednesday afternoon, replaced by El Zol, "a current hit blend of Caribbean and Central American dance music."

Like KROQ here, WHFS was a legendary station that defined progressive radio in the 1970s and 80s, before becoming a corporatized testosterone-driven rock station in the 90s. Somehow, KROQ flourished when it went fully mainstream, while WHFS -- also owned by Infinity -- had declined over the past decade. Writes DCRTV.com: "WHFS was born in the 1960s on 102.3 FM in Bethesda, and became a maverick free-form progressive rocker by the early 1970s. It moved to Annapolis-based 99.1 FM in 1983. After a variety of owners, it evolved into a mainstream alternative rock outlet serving both DC and Baltimore, with studios in Lanham. During the past years, however, its ratings have slumped, particularly in the DC market."

Meanwhile, in local radio news, the fall Arbitrons are out, and there aren't too many surprises. Among listeners 12+, hip-hop powerhouse Power 106 (KPWR-FM) is still tops, followed by AM talker KFI and El Cucuy's home, Spanish Contemporary KLVE-FM. Top 40 KIIS-FM continues to improve (coming in fourth this time), having added a heavy dose of hip-hop to its diet, while KROQ drops to fifth.

Stations posting big declines include chief Power 106 rival "100.3 The Beat" (KKBT-FM) and Urban AC "Hot 92 Jamz" (KHHT-FM), which appears ripe for a format change. New oldies hip-hop outlet KDAY-FM barely registers, declining from its previous life as a tropical Spanish station. "Indie 103.1" (KDLD/KDLE) still hasn't made a dent either.

Meanwhile, fresh from Don Barrett's LARadio.com: In a long anticipated change to take advantage of the storied LA Lakers franchise on KLAC, XTRA Sports 690 is moving to 570 AM. The Pop Standards format on KLAC will move to 690 AM. The move will take effect February 3."